Energy management apparatus and energy management system

Abstract

An energy management apparatus includes: algorithm storage unit configured to store at least one energy-saving control algorithm; controller configured to control an operation of controlled device by executing the algorithm and; data storage unit configured to store reduction information corresponding to the algorithm, the reduction information used to figure out a reduction in energy consumption due to the execution of the algorithm; estimation unit configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption due to the execution of the algorithm on the basis of the reduction information, when controller controls the operation of controlled device by executing the algorithm; and network communication unit configured to output the estimation result.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An energy management apparatus, comprising:
 an algorithm storage unit configured to store at least one energy-saving control algorithm, which controls an operation of a controlled device in a way to reduce energy consumption thereof; 
 a controller configured to control the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm; 
 a data storage unit configured to store reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm, and used to figure out a reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm; 
 an estimation unit configured to estimate, when the controller controls the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm, the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm on the basis of the reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm; and 
 an output unit configured to output an estimation result by the estimation unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the algorithm storage unit is configured to store energy-saving control algorithms each of which controls the operation of the controlled device in a way to reduce the energy consumption thereof, 
 the controller is configured to control the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm selected from the algorithm storage unit, and 
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms, wherein the reduction information is used to figure out a reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the corresponding energy-saving control algorithm. 
 
     
     
       3. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the estimation unit is configured to acquire an execution duration which is a period when the energy-saving control algorithm is continuously executed, and estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the acquired execution duration and the reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm. 
     
     
       4. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device in the execution duration when the time length of the execution duration is not less than a lower limit value, and not to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device in the execution duration when the time length of the execution duration is less than the lower limit value. 
     
     
       5. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising an update unit configured to update the reduction information corresponding to an executed energy-saving control algorithm and stored in the data storage unit on the basis of measurement results of the energy consumption of the controlled device before and after the controller starts executing of the energy-saving control algorithm. 
     
     
       6. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a time period information acquisition unit configured to acquire time period information on a time period, wherein
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms for every time period, and 
 the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device, on the basis of the reduction information for the time period information acquired by the time period information acquisition unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the energy management apparatus constitutes an energy management system with an environment information acquisition unit configured to acquire environment information on a surrounding environment, 
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms for every surrounding environment, and 
 the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the reduction information for the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a time period information acquisition unit configured to acquire time period information on a time period, wherein
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms for every time period, and 
 the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the reduction information for the time period information acquired by the time period information acquisition unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the energy management apparatus constitutes an energy management system with environment information acquisition unit configured to acquire environment information on a surrounding environment, 
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms for every surrounding environment, 
 the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the reduction information corresponding to the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit. 
 
     
     
       10. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the energy management apparatus constitutes an energy management system together with an environment information acquisition unit configured to acquire environment information on a surrounding environment, 
 the data storage unit is configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms for every surrounding environment, and 
 the estimation unit is configured to estimate the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the reduction information for the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit. 
 
     
     
       11. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to control the operation of the controlled device by executing a first algorithm under which the controlled device is operated at a predetermined output level, and 
 the at least one energy-saving control algorithm is a second algorithm under which the controlled device is operated with energy consumption smaller than the energy consumption of the controlled device under the first algorithm. 
 
     
     
       12. The energy management apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reduction information indicates a ratio of a consumed-power amount reduced due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm in a case where the energy-saving control algorithm is executed on the controlled devices, with respect to a total consumed-power amount of the controlled device. 
     
     
       13. An energy management system, comprising:
 energy management apparatuses and 
 a central server configured to be able to communicate with each of the energy management apparatuses, wherein 
 each of the energy management apparatuses, comprises: 
 an algorithm storage unit configured to store energy-saving control algorithms, each of which controls an operation of a controlled device in a way to reduce energy consumption thereof; 
 a controller configured to control the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm selected from the algorithm storage unit,; 
 
       a data storage unit configured to store reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms, wherein the reduction information is used to figure out a reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the corresponding energy-saving control algorithm;
 an estimation unit configured to estimate, when the controller controls the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm, the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm on the basis of the reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm; and 
 an output unit configured to output an estimation result by the estimation unit. 
 
     
     
       14. The energy management system according to  claim 13 , wherein
 each of the energy management apparatuses is configured to send the central server the reduction information stored in the data storage unit corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms, 
 the central server is configured to statistically process the reduction information received from the energy management apparatuses for each corresponding energy-saving control algorithm, and 
 each of the energy management apparatuses is configured to update the corresponding reduction information stored in the data storage unit on the basis of the reduction information after the statistical processing acquired from the central server. 
 
     
     
       15. The energy management system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the central server is configured to statistically process reduction information received from each of the energy management apparatuses on the basis of an attribute assigned to each of the energy management apparatuses, and 
 each of the energy management apparatuses is configured to acquire the reduction information after the statistical processing corresponding to the attribute assigned thereto from the central server. 
 
     
     
       16. The energy management system according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the central server is configured to statistically process reduction information received from the energy management apparatuses on the basis of attribute assigned to each of the energy management apparatuses, and 
 each of the energy management apparatuses is configured to acquire the reduction information after the statistical processing corresponding to the attribute assigned thereto from the central server. 
 
     
     
       17. An energy management method, comprising:
 storing at least one energy-saving control algorithm, which controls an operation of a controlled device in a way to reduce energy consumption thereof; 
 controlling the operation of the controlled device by executing the energy-saving control algorithm; 
 storing reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm, and used to figure out a reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm; 
 estimating, when the operation of the controlled device is controlled by executing the energy-saving control algorithm, the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the energy-saving control algorithm on the basis of the reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm; and 
 outputting an estimation result in accordance with the estimating. 
 
     
     
       18. The energy management method according to  claim 17 , wherein
 energy-saving control algorithms are stored, each of which controls the operation of the controlled device in a way to reduce the energy consumption thereof, 
 the operation of the controlled device is controlled by executing the energy-saving control algorithm selected, and 
 reduction information corresponding to each of the energy-saving control algorithms is stored, wherein the reduction information is used to figure out a reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device due to the execution of the corresponding energy-saving control algorithm. 
 
     
     
       19. The energy management method according to  claim 18 , wherein the estimating acquires an execution duration which is a period when the energy-saving control algorithm is continuously executed, and estimates the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device on the basis of the acquired execution duration and the reduction information corresponding to the energy-saving control algorithm. 
     
     
       20. The energy management method according to  claim 19 , wherein the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device is estimated in the execution duration when the time length of the execution duration is not less than a lower limit value, and the reduction in the energy consumption of the controlled device is not estimated in the execution duration when the time length of the execution duration is less than the lower limit value. 
     
     
       21. The energy management method according to  claim 20 , further comprising updating the reduction information corresponding to an executed energy-saving control algorithm on the basis of measurement results of the energy consumption of the controlled device before and after the controller starts executing of the energy-saving control algorithm.